Extract audio from a video file
Pull MP3 / WAV / M4A audio out of MP4 or MOV. Your re-encode choice decides whether quality holds up.
GUI shortcuts
- VLC: Media > Convert/Save > pick an audio-only profile.
- HandBrake: In the Audio tab, choose Passthrough for no quality loss.
FFmpeg lossless extraction (recommended)
# No re-encoding — keep the original codec
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vn -acodec copy output.m4a
Converting to MP3
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vn -ab 192k -ar 44100 -y output.mp3
- Tune bitrate (
-ab) and sample rate (-ar) to taste.
Legal / operational notes
- Respect the terms of service of any platform you sourced the video from. Only extract audio from material you own or have rights to.